Stefanos Tsitsipas kept up his inter-European domination with his 12th straight win over an Italian opponent to open with a victory at the ATP event in Kazakhstan.
The Greek third seed handled teenaged young gun Luca Nardi, the No. 152, dishing out a 7-6(2), 7-6(3), defeat in an hour and three quarters-.
Nardi, a qualifier, was competing in his fifth Tour-level career match.
Tsitsipas reached his 12th ATP quarter-final of the season with the second-round win.
“I was trying to do my best, I was trying to switch it up as much as I could. but it wasn’t as easy as I had it planned in my head.
“He made it difficult today,” Tsitsipas said.
Tsitsipas improved to 51-18 this season and has already qualified for the November ATP Finals in Turin.
